USB-C

Nomad’s PowerPack is a rugged battery pack that you can track with Tile

Anthony Bouchard ∙ February 24, 2017

Battery packs are a hot commodity these days because it seems like our mobile devices never want to last as long as we’d like them to. They bring us out of the dark ages, where we used to have to sit by a power outlet and wait for our handsets to charge, and are advantageous because they allow you to charge on the go, no matter how far away from civilization you might be.

On the other hand, people who are always on the go have a tendency of misplacing things, and sometimes that means losing their battery packs. That’s why Nomad came up with the PowerPack, a trackable battery pack you can keep tabs on with your mobile device, even when you’ve forgotten it somewhere or misplaced it.

Rumor: iPhone 8 won’t ship with wireless charger, USB-C cable or headphone jack adapter

Christian Zibreg ∙ February 11, 2017

Japanese blog Mac Otakara claimed Saturday that iPhone 8's rumored wireless charging feature may require a dedicated wireless charger accessory that customers would need to purchase separately. Citing reliable sources within Apple's supply chain, the story goes on to say that iPhone 8 also won't ship with the 3.5mm headphone jack adapter found in the iPhone 7 box nor will it come with a Lightning to USB-C cable as some have hoped.

Apple taps an old plug to ease connectivity and adapter woes with Lightning headphones

Christian Zibreg ∙ February 6, 2017

Apple will soon allow vendors who design MFi-certified accessories to build support for an obscure but already-existent port in order to ease some of the connectivity and adapter woes associated with Lightning-based headphones. 9to5Mac reported that the company might market UAC, an intermediary in headphone cables, as “Ultra Accessory Connector” (UAC).

Citing sources at Apple, The Verge adds that UAC is an old plug you might have seen with your Nikon DSLR camera rather than a proprietary new connector type from Apple. Apple's ultimate goal with UAC, The Verge claims, is making Lightning and USB-C work better together rather than replacing them with a brand new I/O port.

Apple extends limited time USB-C accessory price cuts through end of March 2017

Christian Zibreg ∙ December 20, 2016

Apple told The Loop's Jim Dalrymple that it is extending USB-C accessory price cuts from end of the year to March 31, 2017.

Responding to a flurry of complaints targeting the new MacBook Pro, the company originally said a month and a half ago that it would temporarily cut the prices on USB -C adapters and peripherals it sells in its stores through the end of the year.

Aukey’s 30,000 mAh battery pack stores lots of power and charges with Lightning

Anthony Bouchard ∙ December 15, 2016

There are a ton of battery packs out there, and we just showed you a couple of very stout options from Anker last month, but for those who need even more juice, Aukey has a versatile 30,000 mAh battery pack with handy unique features.

Because I was personally impressed with the build quality and features this battery pack had to offer, I’m excited to show you everything it can do.

Some new MacBook Pros are shutting down repeatedly and unexpectedly

Christian Zibreg ∙ December 6, 2016

Some proud owners of the new MacBook Pro with TouchBar are reportedly seeing their notebooks shut down repeatedly and unexpectedly. According to a report from Jeff Porten of TidBits, the problem might be related to external hard drives connected to the notebook through its Thunderbolt 3/USB-C ports.

Apple declined comment. This is yet another in a series of teething issues that have been plaguing early adopters of the new MacBook Pro. Just a few days ago, for example, some MacBook Pro owners reported an annoying graphics glitching issue.

Some great USB-C hubs for your new MacBook Pro

Cody Lee ∙ November 30, 2016

If you recently picked up one of Apple's new MacBook Pros, you're probably suffering from port shock. The laptop only includes 4 USB-C connections—the non-Touch Bar model only has 2—and chances are your current accessories and peripherals don't support them.

An easy way to remedy this is to buy a hub. This will connect to a single USB-C port on your MacBook Pro, and provide you with various useful connections like USB 3.0, HDMI, and even an SD card reader. Below we've listed some great hub options for your new Mac.

USB-C adapters you may need for your new MacBook Pro

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 28, 2019

If you have purchased Apple's new MacBook Pro, or are planning on doing so, chances are you're going to need some dongles and adapters. The laptop has only USB-C ports, so you're likely going to need some help connecting your old hardware and peripherals.

With this in mind, we've decided to put together a list of some common USB-C adapters to help get you started. As with all of our accessory roundups, the following items were chosen based on a variety of factors including price, availability and consumer feedback.

OWC’s new Thunderbolt 3 Dock adds 13 additional ports to your MacBook Pro

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 28, 2019

Other World Computing (OWC), a U.S.-based company and online store for Mac upgrades and accessories located at MacSales.com, today announced the ultimate docking station for your brand spanking new MacBook Pro.

With the new Pro the Cupertino firm is (rightly) betting on USB-C, effectively putting us in a dongle hell for now. Enter the new $279 Thunderbolt 3 Dock, a successor to OWC's Thunderbolt 2 Dock and USB-C Dock.

Billed as the best expansion solution they've ever made, it offers the speed of Thunderbolt 3 technology coupled with a whopping thirteen expansion ports to help get the most out of the new late-2016 MacBook Pro.

Here’s why PC notebook makers, aside from Apple, have been slow to adopt USB-C

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 28, 2016

When it debuted in March 2015, Apple's twelve-inch MacBook has ushered in an era of USB-C, then new high-speed connectivity option from the USB Implementers' Forum with a reversible, ultra-thin plug resembling Apple's proprietary Lightning port. In fact, the MacBook was the first notebook to incorporate a USB-C connection as its power port, completely replacing Apple's own MagSafe charging.

PC notebook vendors around the world were supposed to follow in Apple's footsteps and readily adopt USB-C across their products—and some have—but too many of them were, and still are, less keen to adopt USB Type C connections on their products. The reason for this is two-fold: design and cost considerations.

Rumor: Apple is going to refresh MacBook Air after all and it’ll have USB-C

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 27, 2016

DigiTimes, a Taiwanese trade publication that more or less accurately reports unknown features of unreleased Apple products (although the timing on its rumors is usually off), is out with a new story Wednesday claiming that USB Type-C connection is coming to a next-gen MacBook Air, implying Apple might update its most popular notebook after all.

Pre-orders begin for the incredibly sexy BatteryBox Slim

Anthony Bouchard ∙ June 10, 2016

BatteryBox is launching a new pre-order special for its updated line of external batteries for Mac laptops and mobile devices that use a USB charger, such as iOS, Android, Windows Phone, and various other types of devices.

Dubbed BatteryBox Slim, the new battery not only looks better with its color-matched aluminum external finish, but it comes with a slew of new features that are going to make this one of the best options on the market to date.